Giving God control

Okay, so honesty time…

I REALLY struggle with trying to “control” most (if not all) aspects of/situations in my life. I want to control the specific meals/calories I consume, the amount of time (and when) I exercise, what classes I take each semester at Asbury Theological Seminary, how much money I have/keep in my bank account, what meals I cook (and how much), who I talk to, when I talk to people, etc. You get the idea. I like to be in control of things.

God has been teaching me lately that a life that is devoted to Him involves us giving UP control of our own lives (each and every little detail of them). It involves us surrendering completely to the Holy Spirit and saying “hey God, I know this is uncomfortable and I’m not used to not ‘controling’ this particular thing, but I TRUST that you have my best interest at heart, which is why I am going to completely surrender it to you.” We have to trust that God has our best interest in mind, and allow ourselves the FREEDOM of giving our lives TOTALLY and COMPLETELY to the Holy Spirit.

In my life currently, this looks like giving up the control of when and how often I get to exercise. I absolutely LOVE exercising, but I have recently found myself allowing exercise to take precedence over things it should never have priority over – such as the amount of rest I get each night, my physical, mental, and spiritual/emotional well-being, and my relationships with others. Exercising should NEVER come before any of these things, and, well, I am embarrassed to say that I have all too often put exercising before the things that should truly matter in life.

Jesus is showing and continually reminding me that while exercise is a GOOD thing, if we put ANYTHING before God, it becomes an idol in our lives. Idols in the present day don’t just look like Baal or the golden calves we see in the Old Testament, they can take various forms and can be ANYTHING that we choose to put before God in our lives. For me, especially lately, this has been exercise. I have refused to give up (or even be flexible with) my workout schedule I have made for myself, which has sometimes interfered with lunch or coffee dates with really great friends. Why do you ask, would I choose exercise over time with those people? Well, because I am acting out of my flesh, and my ‘impulsive’ desire to control/follow my schedule no matter what. I admit that I have been AFRAID to truly let go and give this area of my life to God.

Well now, friends, NOW I am choosing to surrender this to God, and I invite you to join in with me in this process of surrender, and give God anything in your life that might be an idol (no matter how small it may seem). As we embark on this journey together, I want to encourage you with the following verses that the Lord has so gently (yet, firmly) reminded me of as I write this post:

1. Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths”, (ESV).
2. Matthew 6:19-21: “Don’t store up treasures in here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be”, (NLT).
3. Mark 8:36-37: “For what does it benefit a man to gain the whole world [with all its pleasures], and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul and eternal life [in God’s kingdom]?”, (AMP).
4. Romans 12:1-2: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will”, (NIV). (Italics added by me)